Cucumbers are from the squash family along with watermelons and pumpkins. They are often tossed on to salads as an afterthought, or cut up for pickles or smashed up for beauty treatments. Once you realize the nutritional value that is packed by nature into a cucumber, you may want to start making them part of your everyday diet. When consuming cucumbers, wash the skin well to remove any pesticides that may be on it, and then eat the skin along with the cucumber. The encyclopedia of the World's Healthiest Foods states that many of the vitamins and health benefits from cucumbers are in the skin.
Fiber
Cucumbers are an excellent source of fiber. While 1 cup of sliced cucumbers, with skin on, only provides .83g of fiber, or 4 percent of the recommended daily value, what makes cucumbers a good choice for fiber is that they have the naturally occurring water that should accompany fiber intake. In a report from Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, Dr. Warren Enker states that increasing fiber in the diet without increasing water intake along with it can cause constipation and bind up the bowels. When you eat cucumbers, you increase your fiber and your water intake at the same time.
Vitamins, Minerals and Molybdenum
One cup of sliced cucumbers, with the skin on, also contain 223.60 IU of vitamin A, which is 4.5 percent of the RDA, and 5.5mg of vitamin C which is almost 10 percent of the RDA. Other trace vitamins in cucumbers are niacin and folate (both from the B vitamin family), B6, vitamin E and vitamin K.
Cucumbers are also loaded with minerals. According to the World's Healthiest Foods nutritional data report for cucumbers, they contain necessary minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, copper, manganese, fluoride, selenium and silica. While these minerals are only in trace amounts, cucumbers provide a natural way to consume them into the body to help promote good health and essential cellular functions.
Molybdenum is another very important component found in cucumbers. It is an element that, according to the American Cancer Society, helps with bodily processes that include the nervous system, kidney function and the ability of the cells to produce energy. The ACS also states that molybdenum has been found to be an anti-oxidant that can help prevent cancer.
For Dieters
Cucumbers are a wonderful food for dieters to snack on. They are loaded with water and fiber, so they fill the system up quickly, satisfying the appetite. They also contain just 16 calories and 3.8 carbohydrates per 1 cup serving. Add them to salads or eat them plain as a cooling snack.
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